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Searching

Type the keyword you want to find. For example:

  • design
  • bleachers grisham
Search Tips
Wildcards Words may be right-hand truncated using an asterisk ('*') in place of other characters. The '*' wildcard may also be embedded in a search string. You may use '?' to replace a single character anywhere within a word.
Examples : environment* polic*, wom?n
Boolean Operators Use "and" or "or" to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use "and not" to exclude words.
Example : stocks and bonds
Example : (alaska or canada) and (adventure and not vacation)
Field limits A field limit causes the system to search only the specified field for the specified word(s).
Grouping Keyword search results are usually grouped by relevance to bring the most likely titles to the top of the list. Each group represents a similar level of relevance and results are sorted within the group by date or title. To get an ungrouped result set, use boolean operators to form a complex query.

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Advanced Keyword Search Tips

Multiple Words

When searching multiple words the system will automatically supply the Boolean "and" operator between each word; multiple words entered for the search will all occur somewhere in the retrieved records though not necessarily in the order entered. Both examples on the right will retrieve the same results.

Examples

Using multiple words:
university science department
university and science and department

Phrase Searches

Search for complete phrases by enclosing them in quotation marks. Words enclosed in double quotes will appear together in all results exactly as typed.

Examples

A phrase Search:
"university science department"

Wildcards

*   Matches any number of non-space characters, starting at the specified position in the word. For example, "comput*" will match all words that begin with "comput" (e.g., "computer", "computation", etc.).
The '*' wildcard may also be embedded in a search string.

?   You may use a question mark ('?') to replace a single character anywhere within a word.

Examples

* Wildcard:
environment* polic*
comp*

? Wildcard:
wom?n

Boolean Operators

Use AND or OR to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use AND NOT to exclude words. Select the operator you wish to use from the selection list on the Advanced Search form.

Examples

Using Boolean operators:
stocks and bonds
stocks or bonds
stocks and not bonds

Field Limits

Field limits may be specified by selecting a field limit from the selection list. These limits appear before the word or phrase to be searched. A field limit causes the system to search only the specified field for the specified word(s).

Field Limits and their meanings:

  • Author: Search only author fields
  • Title: Search only title fields
  • Subject: Search only subject fields
  • Note: Search only note fields
  • Subject: Search only subject fields

Grouping

Keyword search results are usually grouped by relevance to bring the most likely titles to the top of the list. Each group represents a similar level of relevance and results are sorted within the group by date or title. To get an ungrouped result set, use boolean operators to form a complex query.

Most relevant Most relevant titles 

Highly relevant Highly relevant titles 

Very relevant Very relevant titles 

Relevant Relevant titles 

Other relevant Other relevant titles 

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Saving your searches

If you have a favorite author or subject for which you often search when using the catalog, you can save the search with the click of a button. This will prevent you from having to key in the search each time and let you place reserves on new materials quicker.

How to:

  1. Log in to your My Millennium Account. See the Create or Reset a PIN section for instructions on how to login and see your own library record
  2. Click on the "New Search" button.
  3. Search for your favorite author, subject, title, etc. or create an advanced keyword search including limits to material type, language, publication year, etc..
  4. When your results are displayed, click the button marked "Save as preferred search".
  5. The next time that you log in to your My Millennium Account, you can click the "Preferred Searches" button to see a list of your saved searches.
  6. Click on the search link associated with any of the preferred search terms in the list to quickly execute your search.
  7. You can be alerted of new materials added to the library collection which match your searches. Just check the "Mark for Email" box and be sure that your patron record information includes your current email address.

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Renewals

Library cardholders may renew their own materials online. All material may be renewed except for materials with reserves and materials on which you owe fines.

How to:

  1. Log in to your My Millennium Account.
  2. If not the default view click the "Items currently checked out" link to view the materials you have checked out.
  3. Select the materials you want to renew by checking the boxes in the RENEW column and then click the Renew Selected button. If you want to renew everything, click the Renew ALL button.
  4. If you cannot renew items, a message will appear on the screen. If you are successful, a new due date will appear in the "STATUS" column. Always check the STATUS column for information on the success or failure of your renewal.

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Research Pro

Research Pro searches simultaneously across multiple databases, websites, and catalogs selected by the library to find full-text articles, abstracts, images, books, and other resources. Research Pro passes your search request to the target resources you select, so the search will be interpreted by each of the target resources. Research Pro will retrieve results from the resources you select - you can then see which resources have the most information relevant to your work. Research Pro is a useful way to get an overview of your subject and orient yourself to some of the resources available.

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Research Pro Search Tips

By default, Research Pro performs a simple search across the default resources the library has selected for you. You can always select other groups of resources or individual resources to search.

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Simple search queries are passed to each target resource exactly as they are typed in to retrieve results based on the default settings of each target database (e.g. searched as keywords or phrase), and results are displayed on a separate tab for each resource (e.g. sorted by relevance or date). You can view results from each of the different databases simply by clicking on the database name in the tabs on the left side of the results page, or click the “All Resources” tab to view all results interfiled.

The Research Pro advanced search lets you combine up to 3 search terms from different search indexes using Boolean operators for more complex searches.

Combine your terms by selecting the Boolean operators AND, OR, or NOT using the radio buttons to the right of the search term boxes. You can change the way your search terms are nested using the "Construct Search As" options below the search term boxes.

Research Pro supports Research Pro will send the search terms exactly as the user has typed them, so you can take advantage of any truncation and wildcard symbols supported by the target resources you have chosen.

Note: the truncation and wildcard symbols used vary from one database to another, so your search may be interpreted incorrectly by a resource that does not support the symbols you have included.

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Create or Reset a PIN

A personal identification number (PIN) allows you to login into your personal library record. You can login and view your transactions and fines, add preferred seaches and reading lists, see your reading history if you activate the Optin option, and modify your pin and email address.

Note: To use this service you must

  1. be a registered library user (you are required to register every year)
  2. have a current library barcode on the back of your student or staff card
  3. and have a valid email address registered in your library patron record.

You can create or reset your own PIN on the Create or reset a pin form

Please note that you must have a vaild email adrress in your patron record to use the above function. Contact the library staff to add a valid email address to your patron record if you do receive an invalid email warning.

Follow these steps on the pin form offered:

  1. Type your name and surname in the first box. Use the TAB button to go to the next box.
  2. Type your library barcode number (the one at the back of your student/staff card) in the second box.
  3. Click Submit

The following message will display: A message has been sent to the email address we have on record for you. The link in the message will be valid for 3 hours only

Please follow the instructions in that message to reset your PIN.
If you do not receive an email, please contact your librarian for assistance.

Go to the relevant email and click on the link. The following form will display.

On this form:

  1. Type your name and surname in the first box. Use the TAB button to go to the next box.
  2. Type your library barcode number (the one at the back of your student/staff card) in the second box.
  3. Type in a PIN that you choose: it can be any word or numbers or combination, not longer than 8 characters, e.g. an4k8mw
  4. Re-type your PIN in the last box.
  5. Click on Submit.

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